2012's Meltdown festival, sees Antony (of Antony & the Johnsons) curating a bill of avant awesomeness. We've compiled some bits to help you get excited about this year's event, which kicks off on August 1st on London's Southbank.

Antony is no stranger to the Meltdown event, having performed for other people in the past. This year, in the curator's role has put together a line-up that includes New York legends (Lou Reed and his better half - who'd never do dare to do a Lulu - the incredible Laurie Anderson, who curated the event herself back in '97), British art-pop royalty (Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser and Marc Almond) and European outsiders (Diamanda Galas, CocoRosie, Planningtorock) plus some of his friends (Joan as Policewoman, The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, Matmos and Hercules & The Love Affair who'll be joined by John Grant). It is almost exactly what you'd expect from Antony, lots of performance artists who deal in music that pulses and throbs whilst parading its sexual curiosity, insecurity and ambiguity. Some music that is dark and twisted or just dark and dark and dark and darker... There will be prosthetics, 'brave' outfits and possibly some tear-smeared make-up.

The full line-up including details of screenings, talks ("Albion – Hypnagogue – Ghost: Hallucinatory Queer British Paganism: Myrninerest and Cyclobe" and "Marina Abramovi?: Lecture for Women") and that sort of thing can be found on the Southbank Centre's Meltdown website, here.

Spotify Playlist

We've made this Meltdown festival Spotify playlist filled with music to give you some tunes to get you in the mood (please note, Austra and When Saints Go Machine aren't playing - although they really should be - we just liked those remixes).